BOARD OF EDUCATION VOTES 5-3 TO END SHARING OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

A divided board of education voted Thursday to withdraw from its 25-year-old agreement to share administrators with Andover and Hebron, but left open the right to rescind the decision.

The 5-3 vote was met with anger from parents and some town officials who said the school board acted hastily and set the tone for a legal battle.

"They've drawn a line in the sand and I think that's a shame," First Selectman Howard Dean said.

Dean likened the situation to a married couple who go to a divorce lawyer. "What are the chances of getting back together again?" he asked.

After a presentation and lengthy discussion, a motion was read by board member Louise Concodello and seconded by Roger Pocock to draft a notice of the school board's intent to withdraw from the central office compact by June 30, 1998, reserving the right to rescind any time before that date.

Under the agreement, which began in 1972 to reduce education costs, the boards of education for Hebron, Andover, Marlborough and Regional School District 8 share school administrators, including a single superintendent. The agreement is known as the central office compact.

School board members who voted in favor of withdrawal said the needs of the four education boards have grown apart. The town is proposing hiring its own superintendent, possibly shared with another town, to oversee the elementary schools.

After 25 years, it is "time to step outside and look for something better," school board member Anne Jones said.

School board Chairwoman Catherine Gaudinski said no one wants to be adversarial. Some board members expressed frustration with the central office arrangement, saying decision-making is too slow.

"We need to look at other alternatives and options that are under our control," Gaudinski said.

A committee will be set up to discuss the town's next move, she said.

Several school board members, including Jennifer Fortin, said they feared increased costs, duplication of services and unknown legal costs. Fortin also cited the lack of public support for the move.

Indeed, no one in the audience Thursday supported the withdrawal. Many suggested reworking the compact with Hebron and Andover.

"My fear is we're going to spend the next six months fighting," resident David Lenihan said.

Debbie Bourbeau, who has been a teacher for 24 years, said she tells her students to confront problems, rather than run from them.

"You don't run. You don't hide. You don't take your marbles and go home. How can I tell them the board of education isn't doing that themselves?" she asked.